Reciprocating internal combustion (IC) engines are known for converting chemical energy stored in a fuel supply into mechanical shaft power. A fuel-oxidizer mixture is received in a variable volume of an IC engine defined by a piston translating within a cylinder bore. The fuel-oxidizer mixture burns inside the variable volume to convert chemical energy from the mixture into heat. In turn, expansion of the combustion products within the variable volume performs work on the piston, which may be transferred to an output shaft of the IC engine.
Variations in the temperature of an oxidizer stream entering an engine are known to affect engine performance. For example, exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) may be used to modify a temperature of the flow of oxidizer entering the IC engine in addition to an oxygen concentration of the oxidizer flow. The EGR flow may be cooled through an EGR cooler to adjust a temperature, water mole fraction, or both, of the EGR flow.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,621,262 (the '262 patent), entitled “Hybrid Thermal Energy Conversion For HCCI Heated Intake Charge System,” describes a method for operating an internal combustion engine coupled to a hybrid power train, whereby waste energy from a component of an electrical power system is used to heat intake air during homogeneous charge compression ignition operation of the engine. According to the '262 patent, a heat exchanger harvests vehicle thermal energy and an electric heater harvests waste electrical energy to heat intake air. Further, the '262 patent describes an EGR cooler for cooling an EGR flow.
However, the intake thermal management described by the '262 may be an expensive and complex retrofit for a vehicle not already having a hybrid powertrain. Accordingly, the present disclosure addresses the aforementioned problems and/or other problems in the art.